Warners buys spec from recent grads

Elevated horror-thriller 'Hidden' has progress-to-production priority

In a competitive situation, Warner Bros. Pictures has purchased the spec script “Hidden” from twin brothers and recent college graduates Matt and Ross Duffer, who are also set to direct the pic that the studio is committed to starting as early as 2012.

Project is an elevated horror-thriller about a family hiding in a bomb shelter after escaping a mysterious outbreak. Roy Lee, Mason Novick and Lawrence Grey will produce, while John Middleton and Sebastian Aloi will exec produce.

Deal contains progress-to-production language, indicating that the project is expected to start production next year rather than languish in development. Jon Berg will oversee the project for Warners.

The Duffers, recently graduated from Chapman University, are repped by Paradigm and attorney Alex Kohner.